Carlos Alcaraz has been the shooting star in professional tennis for some time. However, the 20-year-old is repeatedly set back by injuries. Most recently he had to cancel the Masters in Monte Carlo. Just a coincidence?
The cancellation came as a surprise once again. Carlos Alcaraz also cannot take part in the Masters tournament in Monte Carlo. Once again an injury slowed him down. This time it was a tendon in his right arm that was causing pain and could no longer withstand the strain.
Last February, the Spaniard suffered an ankle injury in Rio de Janeiro and had to end the tournament early due to injury. In the Grand Slam semi-final in Paris last summer, his entire body could no longer cope with Novak Djokovic after winning the second set and he lost almost defenseless in the end (3:6, 7:5, 1:6, 1:6) .
Different complaints
Even if the psychological component could have been an additional cause of the lack of strength in this encounter, the question has been posed for some time as to what the physical condition of the muscle package is? Alcaraz is already missing a lot and the list of injuries is already long.
“For me the first explanation lies in his very explosive style of play, which is often excessive in terms of the number of balls he chases in a rally. This is something that even occurs in training,” said one of Alcaraz’s coaches , Martinez Cascales, last year.
In the winter of 2022 to the summer of 2023, the current number two in the (tennis) world repeatedly had various complaints and had to cancel almost half of his tournaments, including the Australian Open. Sometimes there was a pinch in the arm, hand, thigh or even the rest of the body.
Just a few breaks
Some diagnoses: Post-traumatic arthritis in the left wrist and muscle problems in the spine, muscle tears in the left abdominal wall, muscle fiber tears in the right thigh. And this physical dilemma seems to continue. A worrying medical bulletin for a top athlete who is only 20 years old?
“You shouldn’t forget that a tennis year lasts from January 1st to mid-November. There are only very small breaks. And this year with the Olympics, there are even fewer opportunities for regeneration,” says sports scientist Daniel Meffert from the German Sports University in Cologne , who was a tennis professional on the ATP tour for several years, the Sportschau.
Alcaraz himself had also made the tight “demanding schedule” an issue in this matter in the past.
Not everything was done right
Alcaraz coach Cascales himself would prefer his protégé’s approach to be a little calmer after an injury, he said, knowing full well that speed play is “a very important quality” in his protégé’s repertoire. Without this speed of punches and his physical use, the young Spaniard would hardly be so successful. A dilemma.
Alcaraz also sees room for improvement in himself; he may not have done everything right when it comes to a healthy lifestyle for a top player. “I’m talking about breaks, supplements, good food and so on,” Alcaraz said at the beginning of last year. As a result, the topic also became an issue within his team.
All or nothing
Meffert sees another problem when it comes to tennis as an individual sport and draws a comparison to football. “As a footballer, you are usually gradually introduced back into the team. You can be replaced earlier or come on as a substitute and the playing time can be gradually increased. As a tennis player, you only have the option: all or nothing,” says the sports scientist. The right dosage and taking a break at the right time are therefore particularly important.
But it is also clear that competitive sport, in whatever form and in whatever sport, takes a physical toll on the athletes. “It’s just his way of playing tennis, he won’t be able to stop it. And he probably doesn’t want to either,” says Meffert.
